Recently, the Anti-Defimation League (ADL) downgraded the swastika from a specifically anti-Semitic symbol, to one that would still be considered hateful, but not necessarily directed against Jews. This move seems based on research and experience monitoring hate groups of all types. ADL National Director Abraham Foxman noted that the swastika is now being used as “a more generalized symbol of hate.” It is worth noting that perhaps there is a decrease in anti-Semitic acts of hate using the swastika, even while general hate speech, violence and vandalism continue.
What concerns me is the way in which the Holocaust is becoming less specific and less unique. Given that ours will be the generation where we will see the death of the last living witness to this atrocity, it should concern us all.
More than just Jews were targets of the Shoah. Genocides and atrocities on an unimaginably large scale continue into the modern era. However, there is something different about the Shoah which killed 6 million Jews, and its impact on the Jewish community.
Philosopher Emil Fackenheim, in his book To Mend the World, lays out the argument for maintaining the unique nature of the Holocaust, with clarity:
1. The goal of exterminating Jews extended beyond national boundaries. It was not about where we as Jews lived, but the mere fact that we were Jews, that made us targets.
2. The actions encouraged by the Nazi regime was carried out largely by “average citizens” in an otherwise socially advanced society. The events do not occur off to the side, but rather as part of a routine.
3 The Holocaust was aimed at eliminating every Jew, regardless of age, gender or location. There was no criteria other than the infamous “indication of Jewish blood” in a person.
4. The purpose of exterminating Jews was an end unto itself. It was not about land, resources or military strategy. The target was precise, and the tactics relentless.
Given this, transforming the specific symbol of the swastika to a generic symbol of hate will dangerously obscure these facts. It is important for Jewish identity, and for the sake of historical accuracy, that the singular nature of the Holocaust be maintained.
This is not an indictment of the ADL’s decision, but a call to conversation. What do you think are the reasons for and against this move and how will impact the Jewish community in the near term?